That's the local climbing wall, about 14 feet tall and 60 feet long. Some friends invited me to join them a month ago and I haven't missed a Friday yet. I am definitely hooked! It's pretty cheap, and the regulars are super welcoming and super helpful, which this noob definitely appreciates.
Climbing (I think tackling this wall is more accurately described as bouldering) is very physically demanding, but is also a real mental workout. There's the challenge of figuring out a problem as well as the need for absolute focus. I love the way that physical activity--whether it's climbing, hiking, biking, or running--gives me the mental space to be mindful only of the present moment, almost as a Zen meditation.
Climbing also requires me to be relaxed and to breathe so that I don't freeze up, although I have definitely not mastered this skill. It's amazing to watch the more experienced climbers on the wall, though--they make even a really technical, difficult problem look easy because they are so relaxed and move so smoothly.
So if you're just dying to know what to get me for my birthday next month (ahem, Mitchel), I've got the wants for these climbing shoes and my own chalk bag, so that I don't have to squeeze into the smelly old shoes at the gym and mooch chalk off everyone else.P.S. If you haven't left a birthday wish for Malcolm yet, scroll down and leave a comment!
1 comment:
That's a cool spot! I've never heard that we have one of those. Where is it?
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